Readitations

Have you smelled a flower today? It's the beginning of bloom season and spring is in the air. These selected poems all speak to the grounding, peaceful, restorative nature of nature.  When we spend time being mindful of our surroundings, we naturally become more mindful of ourselves. We are not separate from the earth; we are part of it, made of it, healed by it. This meditation is crafted to foster a sense of groundedness, mindfulness, and connection to nature. I hope you can use it to notice the energy that flows within you and without you and how they are the same. Today, perhaps you can get your bare feet on the earth, breathe in some fresh air, and take a moment to rest in the beauty all around us.What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What's your relationship to money? If you're like so many people, you want it and you fear it, love the freedom it brings but hate the baggage. In this episode on the power-packed self-help book You Are A Badass At Making Money by Jen Sincero, delve deep into your beliefs about money and begin to heal your relationship with money and yourself. Get your values, beliefs, actions, thoughts, and words into alignment and begin to give yourself permission to be more expansive, powerful, and wealthy than you ever have before. Wealth is all around us, Sincero says, and it will come to us when we readily and full-heartedly welcome it into our lives and our pocketbooks. This episode is a step along that path where you'll find affirmations and other tools that you can use to shift your perspective on money. As you listen to this meditation, you'll be invited to take a closer look at what you actually think of rich people. If you have a lot of negative beliefs about rich people, odds are that you won't let yourself become one of them. Stop getting in your own way. To shift these blocks, it's up to you to decide to change your beliefs and then do it, Sincero says. She offers plenty of ways to change your thoughts about money, and in this meditation, you'll hear many of those tools at work. This book, and this episode, are not about hustling. They're about doing the inner work and letting the flow happen.What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out upcoming book circles here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What is your deepest desire—the one that keeps you up at night because you want it so badly? Maybe you know immediately, or maybe you haven't allowed yourself to think about it for a while. In this episode on the classic short and spiritual novel The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, allow yourself to listen to your heart and hear the dreams it is speaking to you just as Santiago does at the beginning of his journey to his own dream. Santiago faces great discouragements on his journey—his entire fortune is stolen from him not once, not twice, but thrice—but as he forges on, he learns that everything going on around him, even the things that seem bad at the time, is the universe's way of leading him to exactly where he needs to be. As his faith in the universe and his own heart grows stronger, Santiago becomes a master of taking leaps of faith. He transforms himself and in so doing transforms the world around him, just like a true alchemist.  As you listen to this meditation, you'll be invited to get quiet and listen to your own deep desires in the same way that Santiago does in the book. It's this deep listening that leads him to adventure into new territories, both physical and spiritual. This episode is a reminder to listen to the deepest murmurings of desire that you feel. If you desire it, there's a reason for that and you'll make the universe a better, truer, happier place by fulfilling it.What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out upcoming book circles here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

When was the last time you felt fully rested? If you're like most folks, it may have been a looong time ago. In this episode on three selected readings ("Winter-Time" by Robert Louis Stevenson, "Sleep" by Twyla Tharp, and "Song" by Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow), I discuss rest and why it's so difficult to make space for it. These poems ask deep questions about rest: how do the seasons affect our moods and how much rest we need? how does privilege affect our ability to rest? when do we lose our ability to listen to our natural body intuition and why?  These are questions we have to ask if we want to treat ourselves better as individuals and as a society, and these poems pose them beautifully. I created the meditation in this episode to foster a sense of peace and rejuventation. It's a space for you to rest for a few minutes that will hopefully inspire you to allow more rest in your days going forward. We can't pour from empty cups, and rest is what we need in order to fill those cups. Use a gentle body scan and visualization practice to find a space of restful calm and move into your day with more energy to do the things you care about. What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What do you choose to put into your brain on a daily basis? Books? Social media? Movies? Podcasts? Over the past week, I tried Julia Cameron's reading deprivation exercise from The Artist's Way. During that time, I learned a lot about what I choose to allow into my brain space. Some of it serves me well and some doesn't. Going forward, I know more about what I want to keep in my reading rotation and what I'm better off without. During this week of no reading, I experienced lower anxiety, more free time, more focus, more energy, and more creativity. The benefits of clearing out my reading life for a week were huge and they gave me clarity on how to consume more intentionally now that I'm reading again. The meditation in this episode will guide you to visualize and feel the clarity, peace, and energy that you might feel when choosing to be more intentional with what you read and consume. It's perfect if you're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, low on time, or creatively zapped. Whether you're thinking of going on a social media cleanse or you just want to find more energy throughout the day, this episode might be the inspiration you need. What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

When was the last day when you didn't consume any media? Can't remember? Neither could I, until I began the reading deprivation exercise from Julia Cameron's acclaimed book and course The Artist's Way.  In this episode, I do something you might not expect on a book podcast: I talk about the benefits of not reading for a week. This week, I'm cutting out all social media, videos, books, articles, podcasts, and more to see how it can create more space in my thoughts and my life.The meditation in this episode provides you an opportunity to visualize what your day would look like if you removed all media consumption. You'll feel a sense of spaciousness, calm, and clarity as you imagine your routines distilled without distraction. And maybe, by the end of it, you'll feel inspired to implement a few shifts to allow yourself more space and clarity going forward. This episode invites you to imagine simplifying your life and concentrating your energy on what's most important. You'll especially enjoy this meditation if you often feel anxious or overwhelmed.What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

Do you feel a story when you read it? What makes it feel real?  In this episode on the groundbreaking graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman, I explore how Spiegelman makes his father's story come to life as more than just a series of events in history.  Vladek Spiegelman, a Holocaust survivor, doesn't recount events; he recounts experiences, and those experiences are what his son Art relays in Maus.The way that Spiegelman centers his father's human experience makes Maus uniquely inviting to its readers despite the horrors it recounts. Its sensitive and sharply detailed account of Vladek's experience as a survivor asks readers to feel what they're reading as well as understand it. It forces us to confront things we often do not and to do so compassionately. It leads us to feel empathy within its first pages and keeps us there until the last frame.The meditation in this episode is aimed at centering that same essential humanity that Spiegelman distills in Maus. Based on the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness meditation, this episode will invite you to approach your own story and that of those around you, close and distant, with a consciousness of the human-ness at the center of each one.  What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

Do you follow the rules or break them? Do you believe your success depends on it?  In this episode on the novel-turned-television-show Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, explore the motivations you may carry for following the rules and see how they compare to those of Elena Richardson. Mrs. Richardson believes that if she follows the rules, she'll be successful; if not, the world will come crashing down in flames. But Elena follows the rules at a cost: her passion. Do you have anything in common with her?On the other end of the spectrum, Mia Warren sets a beautiful example of what it means to embrace life wholeheartedly and follow your inner guide. Against the stiff backdrop of Shaker Heights, OH, she shows what it means to be truly passionate and authentic. In this episode, I talk about what makes Mia so genuine and free In this episode, I talk about how Mia stays true to who she is and finds clarity in her values even when the people around her disagree with her.As you listen to this episode, you'll be invited to explore the walls and barriers you've created for yourself. Those blocks and limiting beliefs accumulate and keep us small; the way out of those blocks is by acknowledging they're there and directly confronting them, like Izzy does. This meditation is your guide to do just that. Reframe your inner dialogue to allow more expansion, authenticity, and passion in your life. Life's too short to hold onto those limiting beliefs for very long. This episode is a reminder that you have the power to make (and break) your own rules. What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram @readitations and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do you respond in moments when you feel invalidated?  In this episode on the deliciously creepy novel Mexican Gothic  by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, explore the feelings of fear and powerlessness that Noemí Taboada endures during her time at High Place, the creepy house on the hill where she goes to rescue her cousin from some unknown evil. Not only does Noemí face the kind of fantastical terrors you can only find in a magical gothic novel such as this one; she's also forced to take on the real-life horrors of racism, colonialism, and the patriarchy *shudder.* In this episode, I talk about how Noemí uses tools to validate her own experience even when the others around her refuse to—and ultimately, that's how she prevails. As you listen to this episode, you'll be invited to use the same tools that Noemí to validate your own experience. Using visualization, revisit a scenario when your experience was discredited and use those tools to see things go a different way. This episode is a reminder that you have the power to validate yourself—it's not up to others. "Open your eyes," Noemí repeats to herself in moments when she doubts what she sees. These simple words bring her back to the present and back to her own experience, and you can try them out for yourself during this meditation. When you're finished, you'll leave feeling empowered and self-possessed.What did you think of this episode? Please reach out to readitations@gmail.com and let me know. I love to hear from you.Check out the Artist's Way Book Circle here: readitationspodcast.com/events•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What makes up your identity and how much of it do you consciously choose?  In this episode on the beautiful book The Vanishing Half  by Brit Bennett, explore the many complex ways we shape our own identities and create ourselves. Invite all parts of yourself to the table and take a closer look at how you identify yourself and present yourself to the world, just like the characters in this novel do throughout their own stories. This episode is a reminder of the ways that we can shape our own identities and concepts of ourselves—in fact, we must. "You didn't just find a self out there waiting. You had to make one. You had to create who you wanted to be," Bennett writes. That act of creation is at the heart of each our of lives. It's how we define ourselves and our experiences. When you meditate with this episode, you'll meet with the parts of yourself you have hidden away and the parts you are most fond of. You'll leave this meditation feeling empowered and in touch with yourself.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What's your relationship with the phrase "self care?"  In this episode on the cuttingly funny collection Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby, explore the idea of self care and what that means apart from the commercialized versions we see every day. Go inward to find simple, realistic self-care strategies that actually work for you, unlike the Instagram vitamins that Irby bought but never takes. Real self-care isn't what the glamorous lifestyle blogs show us it is; it's about what truly improves our quality of life, and the only way for us to know what care we need is by getting still and becoming mindful of ourselves. Try this meditation to do just that: scan through your body, mind, and spirit and hear what they are telling you.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

Read the poem here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/53500/ballad-in-a•Read the poetry guide here (one of my main sources of information for this episode): https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/146063/cathy-park-hong-ballad-in-a•Do you exist with your mind in the present or do you live mostly in the future or the past?  In this episode on the nearly-univocalic poem "Ballad in A" by Cathy Park Hong, hear Hong's critique of America's artificial nostalgia for a past that never existed and dive into the brilliant formal devices that she uses to keep her readers and her characters in the present moment. •When we exist in the past or the future, we are living in a myth. Take a leaf out of Hong's book and learn tools to tether yourself to the present moment instead. This idea of presence is central to her poem and central to our own fulfillment.   Try this meditation to pull yourself mindfully into each moment and really feel present with yourself, your emotions, and your surroundings. You'll leave this episode feeling the kind of peace that only comes from living in the moment.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Email me at readitations@gmail.com to tell me what you're reading, send cute cat pics, or let me know what you'd like to hear in future episodes. It means so much to hear from you and I respond to every email.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

Do you treat yourself like a friend? In this episode on the wickedly funny collection Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh, explore the process of what it takes to become friends with yourself and why it's worth the effort.  Get quiet, hold your own hand, and allow yourself to acknowledge all the parts of you that come to the table. It's hard to be supportive of yourself sometimes, and Brosh's understanding humor makes her the perfect companion along that journey. Try this meditation to welcome yourself home with gentleness and reassure yourself that no matter what comes, you will be here for yourself. •Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What's your relationship with the word "faith?"  In this episode on the dryly humorous essay "Jesus Shaves" by David Sedaris, explore the sometimes-challenging concept of faith and its companion, uncertainty.  Dig in to find simple, grounding sources of faith, no matter what you believe. "Why bother struggling... if each of us didn't believe that, against all reason, we might eventually improve?" Sedaris writes. That spark of hope is at the heart of faith. Try this meditation to sit with the paradox of faith amidst uncertainty and ground yourself with feelings of safety and support.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do you feel when a plot twist takes a book (or your life) in a different direction than you  anticipated?  In this episode on the cozy mystery Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, immerse yourself in Christie's twisty novel and allow yourself to let go of your expectations for how things will go. "The impossible must be possible in spite of appearances," Christie reminds us—words that can guide us to greater ease and discovery than we can imagine. Try this meditation to release attachment to expectation and open yourself up to whatever revelation comes next.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

When was the last time you allowed yourself simply to take pleasure in your life?  In this episode on the autobiography My Life in France by Julia Child, surround yourself with Julia's sunny joie de vivre and allow yourself to take pleasure in existence and follow the things that bring you joy. "Allow some things to slip past you," as she would say, and notice the many pleasures of life. Try this meditation to let busy thoughts slip away and soak up the rich pleasure that awaits you in each moment. Bon appétit!•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

When was the last time you got really quiet?  In this episode on the poem "Keeping Quiet" by Pablo Neruda, immerse yourself in the poet's imagining of a world where, for twelve seconds, we all became still and quiet. The earth would flourish, our relationships would heal, and we could finally hear what our inner voices are saying to us. Try this meditation to drop into a space where, for a few moments, you can rest in deep quiet and feel its healing powers.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What is your relationship with your inner pain? Do you resist it or listen to it? In this episode on the poem "On Pain" by Kahlil Gibran, hear how the poet frames pain as a bitter medicine from a divine source. Then try the meditation to drop into a space where you can witness your pain with detachment, attention, and even gratitude.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do the people you love shape your life? In this episode on the novel A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman, hear how the people in Ove's life are his saving grace and how the characters bring color to each other's lives. Then try the meditation to be present with deep gratitude for a person in your own life.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How can you let go more fully? In this episode on the short story Early Autumn by Langston Hughes and the poem "the lesson of the leaves" by Lucille Clifton, compare how characters in Hughes' story suffer as they cling to the past and how the leaves in Clifton's poem embody grace and divinity by letting go of their attachment (literally). Then try the meditation to help bring yourself into the present moment and practice letting go of the past and the future for a little while.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How can you build deeper connections? In this episode on the novel Plainsong by Kent Haruf, hear how the characters in Plainsong's small-town community knit their lives together by looking out for each other. Then try the meditation to help bring more nourishment, care and energy to your own relationships.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next. Please subscribe and review!•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

What small part do you and I play in this vast and ever-expanding universe? In this episode on the poem "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver, hear how Oliver's bird's-eye view of life helps lighten the weight of our human concerns. Then try the meditation to rediscover feelings of oneness and find a sense of place and wonder in the world today.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How does being in a creative mindset make you feel more alive? In this episode on Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, I discuss how creating things makes us more vibrant, engaged, and whole. Then I offer a meditation to help you revitalize your creative force and create color and joy in your life. •Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

Do you have your own permission to fulfill your deepest desires? In this episode on Hunger by Roxane Gay, I discuss how hunger takes many forms—emotional, spiritual, and physical. Then I offer a meditation to help you recognize and honor your true desires to create satisfaction and empowerment in your life. •TW: This book discusses rape and eating disorders.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do our beliefs affect our wellbeing? In this last episode on Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, I discuss how to choose beliefs that bolster your happiness and that of others. Then I offer a meditation to help you bring those positive beliefs to the forefront and nurture your long-term wellbeing and sense of interconnection.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do stories affect our relationships to others? In this episode, I discuss the differences between stories that divide and stories that unite in Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Then I offer a meditation based on the Buddhist practice of loving-kindness to help you love yourself and others more deeply and wholly.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How do the stories we believe shape the world we inhabit? In this episode, I dive into the connection between stories and reality in Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, then offer a meditation to help you make friends with your inner voice, shift to a more positive paradigm, and consciously shape your day.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.•Thanks to Josue Mundt for his work on the theme music and sound design in this episode.Support the show

How can you set yourself free from a destructive inner voice? In this episode, I dive into the emphasis on story-telling and unreliable narratives in Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, then offer a meditation to help you notice your own inner narrator, separate thoughts from truth, and release stories that don't serve you.•Visit readitationspodcast.com to hear every episode and learn about what's coming next.•Support the podcast at patreon.com/readitationspodcast and join the budding Readitations community.Support the show